In his first television interview since his election, Donald Trump explained why he still supports his nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, saying he has heard how senators are turning to Hegseth after having conversations with him .
“Pete is fine now, I mean, people were a little worried. He’s a young man with a tremendous track record. In fact, he went to Princeton and Harvard. He was a good student in both areas, but he loves the military and I think people are starting to see that, so we’re going to work on his nomination, along with many others,” Trump said in a preview of his interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” .
Asked if he still had confidence in Hegseth, Trump replied: “Yes, I do. I really do. He’s a very smart guy.”
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, listens to reporters during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 5, 2024.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
“I know him through Fox, but I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s basically a military guy. Every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military. He’s a military guy. “
Asked if senators had assured him he would be confirmed, Trump responded “no,” while remaining optimistic that he would be confirmed.
“I think he will. Yes, many senators have called me to tell me he is fantastic.”
Trump also pushed back against allegations that Hegseth had a drinking problem when asked what he thought of the accusation given Trump’s family history of alcoholism.
“I’ve talked to people who know him very well and they say he doesn’t have a drinking problem,” Trump said.
There are nine Republican women in the Senate. So far, only one has backed Hegseth when asked by ABC News where he stands.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., publicly supported Hegseth on Fox News. She called him “the ideal person to come and reorganize” the Ministry of Defense.
Others have reservations or are hesitant to offer a formal position until they learn more about the candidate. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she was “undecided.” Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said only that she had a “good conversation” with him this week and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was “obviously” concerned about some of the allegations made against him.
Hegseth will have more meetings with consequential senators, including Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key GOP swing vote.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said in a message released Friday that she will meet with the nominee for defense secretary for a second time next week.
“At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters in a fair hearing,” she said.
Hegseth posted that he and Ernst had “another substantial conversation” on Friday.
The messages and phone call come after Vance told reporters he spoke to Ernst about Hegseth’s nomination.
